Bicycle and the like



May 11 1926. 1,584,568

C. H. CLARK BICYCLE AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 17, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 11 ,1926. 1,584,558 l V C. H. CLARK BICYCLE AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 17, 1922 2 Sheets-Shea*v 2 Figa Figi? fiati-centred fviay l1, i225 .enfant easier..

CHARLES HASKELL CLARK, OF NEW' YORK, N. Y.

BCYCLE AND THE LIKE.

Application tiled February 17, 1922. Serial No. 537,130.

The invention which constitutes the subject matter of this application relates to an in'iprovement in bicycles and motorcycles, one of the more important objects of which is to so construct such a device as to enable it to be folded up into very compact form lthus making-it readily portable.

Further objects, advantages, and features of construction and operation will be underl stood from the detailed description below taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side view ofthe improved bicycle showing the parts in normally operative positions. y

Figure 2 illustrates a side view of the device in folded position.

Figure 3 is a rear' end view of the bicycle in folded position.

Figures 4 and illustrate one form of mechanism employed for connecting the front and rear frames A and B to each other said connection enabling the front frame and wheel to be folded upon the rear frame and wheel. n

Figures 6 and 7 are detail views,

Figures 8 and 9 illustrate a slightly modified form of the invention.

Referring to the drawings in detail the reference letters A and B designate respectively the front and rear frames the former comprising the steering` head 1 and arms 2 and 3. 'and the latter comprising the tube 4, angular members and arms 6 and 7. The

f front wheel 8 is mounted in a forlr 9 in the usual manner, said fork being journaled in the steering head 1 of the frame A and provided with the usual handle bars 10. The rear wheel 11 is connected to the angular members 5 of the frame B in the usual manner but the construction of said frame B is such that the hanger 12, and therefore the pedal cranks 13, is mounted very close to the periphery of the wheel 11 thus enabling the wheel base to be materially shortened so that, when the front and rear frames are folded one upon the other the bicycle assumes. a more compact form.

A stern 1 4 is suitably but rigidly connected to the arms 6 and 7 of the frame B. This :stern extends upwardly from the arms 6 and 7 and on it is journ'alled a sleeve 15. J 11st above `the21151.11 6 on Stein .14de .secured a C/l' Wflflei 1,5 lievi y groove' i?, also secured 'to and preferably g an axially directed' flush with the lower end of sleeve 15 is a companion lock washer 18 having a l-rey 19 which lits into thc groove 17. l The sleeve 15 is fastened to the steering head 1 by means of the arms 2 and 3 of frame A. It will be noted that sleeve 15 with its lock washer 18 normally rests upon the lock washer 16. V11nd it may also be pointed out that the sleeve 15 with its lock washer 18 is adapted to be moved upwardly and downwardly on the stem 14 to enable the frames A and B to be folded upon each other. The mechanism for effecting a relative rotatable or pivoted movement of the sleeve 1,5 and stem 14 is as follows: The stem 14 is preferably hollow so as to be conducive to lightness. Therefore a block 19 is secured in the upper end thereof which block is provided with stud 2O which extends throuoh the cap 21 suitably fastened to the upper end of the sleeve 15, an expansion spring 22 being interposed between the cap 21 and the upper end of the stem 14. This spring always tends to move the sleeve 15 upwardly relative to the stem 14 to disengage the washers 1G and 18 from interlocking engagement with one another. On the stud 20 is journalled an eccentric bifurcated lever or arm 23 provided with two surfaces 24 and 25 a point on the former bearing upon the cap 21 when the lever 23 is in the position illustrated in Fig. 4 and the latter bearing upon thecap 21 when the lever 23 is in the position illustrated in Fig. 5, the whole object of which7 from the foregoing, is self-evident. n It may be vstated however that when the lever 23 is in the position indicated in Fig. 4 and in full lines in Fig. 1 the front and rear frames A and B are lool-:ed against relative rotary motion but when in the position illustrated in Flo'. 5 and in dotted lines in Fig. 1 the springs 22 uisengages the lock washer 18 from its companion washer 16 thus enabling the frame A and B to be folded one upon the other, as clearly illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. The employment of the spring 22 enables the lock washers to separate automatically from each other 'upon the movement of ,the lever 23 from the full to the dotted line position indicated in Fig. 1. Y

To make the wheel base as short as vpossible l have provided a constructionvof'frame asa whole in which the sprocketwheel 24 overlaps the ear wheel as clearliyincad; To accomplish 'this the ann 27 of the angular member 5 is otlset inwardly as indicated at 38 in Fig'. G. rl`his maires it possible to slierten theiwheel base without danger ot the riders Yl'eet strikingF the rear of the front wheel during revolutions ot the pedal.

From the foregoing it will be seen that l have devised a construction ot a bicycle which can be 'folded into very ct ct toi-m. It will et course be understood that the airis of the stem li is such that when the front and rear frames ik and B are 'folded upon each other the front and rear wheels are located side by side. lit it is desired to have either wheel lower than the other in folded position it is only necessari7 to incline the axis ot the stein lll forwardly or backwardly. Any suitable means may be employed tor holcing the trames and wheels in tolded position. It will be readilv apparent that the trames At and B const nte the framework ol the bicycle.

T he arms 6 and 7 to which the stem 14 is secured are located in close proximity to the hanger and constitute the only connection o't` the rear frame B with the front Jframe A, thus enabling the bicycle to be used by a woman as well as a man. To enable the bicycle to be used as a motor cycle it is only necessary to substitute tor the iront wheel a standard form ot' motor wheel such for instance as the Smith type. ln this case the gasoline tank can either be mounted on the front wheel or on the steering head as indicated at 29. I have illustrated the tank 29 in Figs. l and 2 as beine' so designed that it occupies no additional space when the trames are folded upon each other.

ln Figures 8 and 9 I have illustrated a slightly modiiied form of the invention in which the iront wheel is given a half revolution before folding as clearly illustrated in dotted lines.

I have illustrated and described herein what` l consider to be the preterred embodiments ot my invention hut it is to be expressly understood that l do not limit mj.- selt thereto as many changes may be made in point o'l' detail and other embodiments resorted to without deyiating from the true spirit and scope ot' my invention.

lVhat I claim is:

l. A bicycle or similar device comprising a rear frame to which the rear wheel is conected in the usual way. an upwardly projecting coupling stem rigidly connected to said trame, a iront frame to which the tront wheel is connected and provided with a sleeve piiotally mounted upon the upper end of said upwardly projecting portion ot the stem and means cooperating' with said stem and sleeve for etlecting an interlocking engagement between the same.

2. A bicycle or similar device comprising a rear frame to which the rear wheel is connected in the usual way, an upwardly proiecting coupling stem rigidly connected to said frame, a front frame to which the iront wheel is connected and provided with a sleeve rigidly connected thereto and pivotally mounted upon the upper cud ot said upifardly projecting' portion ot' said stem, interiocliir;r means on said stem and sleeve7 and manually actuated in ans on said stem and cooperating' with said sleeve tor ttl'ecting a relative movement oi aid stem and sleeve for causing' an engagement and disengagement ot said interlocking' means.

3. In a bicycle or similar device, a front e including a steering head to which the 'iront wheel is connected, and a rear trame including' a member upon which the seat is supported and to which the rear wheel is connected, in combination with means tor pii'otally connecting said frames to each other comprising arms rigidly connected to and projecting rearwardly from said steering` head. the rearward ends ot said arms being; connected to each other bymeans ol a sleeve, arms rigidly connected to and projecting forwardly from said seat supporting member, the forward ends of said arms being connected to each other by means of a second slcei'e, and means connectingr said sleeves said rearwardly and forwardly projecting' arms being pirotally connected to each other about an axis coinciding with the axis ot said sleeves to enable the trames to be 'folded upon cach other.

et. n ay bicycle or similar device, a Yfront trame including' a steering head to which the front wheel is connected. and a rear rame including' a member upon which a seat is supported and to which the rear wheel is connected, in combination with means 'for pii'otally connecting said frames to each other.comprising arms projecting rearwardly `,m the steering; head and also arms projecting' forwardly from the seat supportingsT member, and relatively movable interlocking* means pirotally connecting' the projecting' ends ot' said arms about a common axis with the ends ol the forwardly projecting arms located below the ends ot the rearwardly projecting arms to accommodate the skirts ot' a lady.

5. in a bicycle or similar device, a front, .traine including' a steering head to which the front wheel is connected, and a rear `hanne including' a member upon which the scat .=,=upported and to which the rear wheel is conneced, in combination with means for pivotall)v connecting said frames to each other comprising arms rigidly connected to and projecting rearwardly from said steering head, the rearward ends ot said arms being connected to cach other by means of a sleeve. arms rigidlj." connected to and projecting` forwardly from said seat supporting memberr` the forward ends of said arms beinT connected to each other by means of af second sleeve which telescopes with and is pivotally connected to the first mentioned sleeve, and means for locking said sleeves against relative rotation.

6. In a bicycle or similar device a front frame including a steering` head to which the front wheel is connected and a rear frame inclr-.ding` a member upon which the seat is 'supported and to which the rear wheel is connected, in combination with mechanism for pivotally connecting said frames to each other, comprising a plurality of arms extending rearwardly from the steering head, a plurality of arms extending forwardly from the seat supporting` member, means for leffecting a rigid connection between the ends of the forwardly projecting arms, means for effecting a rigid connection between the ends of the rearwardly projecting arms, and means for securing the aforesaid means to each other to rotate relatively about the same axis.

7. In a bicycle or similar device, a front frame including a steering` head to which the front wheel is connected and a rear frame to wnich the rear wheel is connected, in combination with pivot means located in the plane of said frames for connecting; the same to each other whereby the front frame and front wheel are foldable in either direction upon the rear frame and rear wheel,.and manually operated means connected to said pivot means for effecting` a relative movement of said front and rear frames to lock the .same in operative position.

8. In a bicycle or similar device, a front frameincluding a steering` head to which the front wheel is connected, and a rear frame including` a member upon which the seat is supported and to which the rear wheel is coi'inec-ted, in combination with means of pivotally connecting said frames to each other comprisingl arms connected to and projecting rearwardly from said steering` head, the rearward ends of said arms being connerted to each other by means of a. sleeve,

arms rigidly connected to and projecting v yfront wheel is connected, and a rear frame including av member upon which the seat is supported and to which the rear wheel is connected, in combination with means normally in a plane of said frames for pivotally connecting the latter to each other comprising arms extending rearwardly and forH wardly respectively from the steering head and seat supporting:y member, the projecting ends of said forwardly projecting arms bein@` pivoted about a common axis with the ends of said rearwardly projecting arms, and manually actuated means on said pivoted connecting means for effecting a rela.- tive movement of the front. and rear frames to lock the same in normal position.

10. In a bicycle or similar device, a front frame including` a steeringhead to which the front wheel is connected and a rear frame including a means upon which the seat is supported and to which the rear wheel is' connected, in combination with means of pivotally connect-ing said frames to each other comprising a member to which the front frame is connected, and a second member to which the rear frame is connected, said members being' pivotally connected to each other to enable the frames to be folded one upon the other, and means on said members for a relative movement of the frames to lock the same in operative posit-i011.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature CHARLES HASKELL CLARK. 

